Wayne Preschool Devastated By Flooding To Reopen Sept. 12

WAYNE, NJ — Weeks after being severely flooded and losing everything, Packanack Cooperative Nursery School will reopen Sept. 12.

Six inches of water covered the main floor. The basement was a virtual pool. Five and a half feet of water destroyed the heating system, hot water heater, two boilers, and the majority of the school's toys.

Estimates put the total cost of damages at about $100,000.

Then something happened.

Parents rebuilt cabinets. Teachers came by to clean up, despite it being their summer break. Toys "R" Us donated toys, $1,000 worth of gift cards, and flat-screen televisions. A local company dried, cleaned, and disinfected the school at no cost. Boilers and a new hot water were donated as well. Nearly $15,000 has been donated online to help the school. The goal is to raise $20,000.

"It has been an unbelievable outpouring of donations to get us back open," said Kelly Schmitz, the school's executive director. "We're so grateful and thankful to the outpouring of support by everyone."

About 100 kids between 2 and 5 years old attend the school, which is now in its 66th year. The school is run by a volunteer board of parents.

"They have been phenomenal," Schmitz said. "They have taken on way more than they ever thought they would have and have stepped tremendously."

Packanack Community Church, which the school is connected to, quickly filled up with two feet of water the night of July 31. The church was also flooded a few years ago. A berm was installed to direct the water flow from Kathleen Court away from the church, but it didn't work this time around. Services at the church resumed last Sunday.

Schmitz said Mayor Chris Vergano, township engineers, and other local officials have visited the site in an effort to examine and fix the problem.

"If this were to happen again, I don't see how the school could come back from it right away like it has this time," Schmitz said.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: A picture of volunteers cleaning up the Packanack Cooperative Nursery School after it was flooded a few weeks ago. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and businesses, the school will reopen Sept. 12. — Photo courtesy of GoFundMe.com